Stay positive about live music hopes
Just as we were looking forward to a start date to bring live music back to our stages, the ‘experts’ turn up and bring things to a virtual stop.
There is a confusing guideline given out by the government surrounding ventilation in venues.
Although all this is being played out down south, it will be heading to a venue near you soon.
The guidelines are so restrictive surrounding this, with many places would find it difficult to operate and some are even contemplating not opening.
The demand to have ‘adequate’ fresh air ventilation in house is causing such an uproar that English theatres, cinemas and music venues have sent a united message to government that a demand for specific levels of ventilation or air filtration as a condition of full opening on June 21 is unjustified and impractical.
The Music Venue Trust’s position is that this should be a long-term plan and should be funded from the public health budget and include grants to improve air quality in grassroots music venues.
There is no guarantee this will be the outcome until the release of the official government report, but its understanding is that, although recommendations and guidance may be offered about what is desirable and best practice, it will not be a condition of full capacity reopening that a specific level of air quality must be achieved. It is expected a bit of clarity on this issue will be issued soon.
Ventilation and air filtration are methods by which the risk of transmission is eliminated or greatly reduced, but with high vaccination levels and low transmission figures is this really needed?
Meanwhile, our friends in Wales have sent a letter to the Welsh Government and the situation down there is confusing.
The grassroots music venue sector, and the artists and audiences that love and rely on these spaces, is in a chaotic situation.
The alert level for reopening these venues with socially distanced measures has been achieved, but live music is not being permitted and no guidance is being issued.
Welsh venues can be open, but live music cannot take place. Bizarrely, with the planned reopening of English live music venues and the removal of travel restrictions for Welsh residents, from May 17 Welsh artists can perform, and Welsh audiences can see live music, but not in Welsh venues.
This type of head scratching goes on in other sectors, like travel, hospitality and education, so it’s not as if the music business is being singled out, although it does feel like that at times.
I know many of you will be panicked by the recent headlines concerning things happening in India and the Indian variant.
Every time we get good news, it is generally followed by a ‘Oh, look over there, is that another virus coming over the hill?’.
We just need to remain calm, wait to see how it all pans out, and we will be told what we need to know as soon as is feasible.
Members of the Music Venue Alliance have continued to make the case that complete removal of distancing is the priority to operate in an economically viable way.
We need solid dates soon because I have been writing a gig column for over a year now with no gigs and I’m going crazy.
The good news is that The Bungalow and Callum’s Cavern are open for pints.
Pop in and say hello.